Liquid ejector 3

Abstract

To provide a liquid ejector which can limit a used amount for one time by multiple depressing operations of a push-down head and can be used repeatedly.SOLUTION: A liquid ejector 1 has: a rotary guide part which causes a rotary member 6 to rotate by a predetermined angle in an advancing direction; a lock part P2 which brings the rotary member 6 into a lock state in which the rotary member 6 is prevented from descending so as to prevent a stem 3 from being pushed down when the rotary member 6 is in a predetermined rotation position; and a lock release part P3 formed by a pressing protrusion part 30 which causes the rotary member 6 to rotate in the advancing direction by the pressing cylinder 4 rotationally operating a rotation operation part 26. The rotary member 6 has a rotary arm 33, and an upper surface of the rotary arm 33 forms a second inclined surface which inclines upward toward one side in a circumferential direction. A lower surface of a ring member 7 forms a plurality of third inclined surfaces which are provided offset from first inclined surfaces in the circumferential direction at a pitch equal to that of the first inclined surface and each of which inclines upward to the one side in the circumferential direction. A width of the third inclined surface in the circumferential direction is larger than a width of the second inclined surface in the circumferential direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid ejector capable of limiting the amount of liquid contained therein that can be used at one time. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art There are known ejectors that allow the user to know when a specified amount of a content, such as a medicine, for which the amount to be used at one time is specified, has been used.

[0003] For example, the ejector described in Patent Document 1 comprises a container having an upper opening, a dispensing means for dispensing a fluid to be administered from the container through the upper opening, a ring nut for fastening the dispensing means to the upper opening of the container, a nozzle which is an actuating member that can be raised and lowered to operate the dispensing means, and elastic means for converting the raising and lowering of the nozzle relative to the ring nut into rotation and raising and lowering of a rotating element, and the rotating element is provided with successive numeric markings which are arranged sequentially in an observation window for each dispense.

[0004] Then, by pressing down on the nozzle, the number of doses appearing in the window is updated, and when the number reaches the final number of doses, the radial locator protruding from the rotating element hits the radial locator protruding from the nozzle, preventing further rotation of the rotating element and terminating use of the ejector. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3211894 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the above-mentioned sprayer in which the amount of the content to be used at one time is specified, it may be desirable to prevent the content from being sprayed when the specified amount is used at one time in order to prevent erroneous use exceeding the specified amount. It may also be desirable to be able to use the specified amount at one time by pressing multiple times. It may also be desirable to be able to repeatedly use the specified amount at multiple times. It may also be desirable to provide a depressing head that sprays the content in response to a pressing operation.

[0007] The present invention is made to solve such problems, and has an object to provide a liquid ejector that can be used repeatedly by limiting the amount of liquid used in one use due to multiple pressing operations on the press head. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The liquid ejector of the present invention comprises an aerosol container having a stem, a cover tube fixed to the aerosol container, a nozzle attached to the stem, a push tube having a rotation operation part protruding from the cover tube, a push head that is rotatable relatively to the push tube and ejects liquid when the nozzle is pressed down, a seal part that seals between a flow path in the nozzle and a flow path in the push head, and a seal part that is regulated in rotation relative to the cover tube and is arranged at a predetermined pitch in the circumferential direction, and predetermined locations in the circumferential direction are intermittent parts. a rotating member that can be raised and lowered in an upwardly biased state relative to the nozzle; a ring member that is interposed between the push tube and the rotating member and can be pressed down, and whose rotation relative to the plurality of partition plates is restricted; a rotation guide section that rotates the rotating member a predetermined angle in the forward direction by lowering the press head, the push tube, the ring member, the rotating member and the nozzle and then raising them by pressing the press head; and when the rotating member is in a predetermined rotation position, pressing down of the stem is prevented. and an unlocking section configured as a pressing protrusion that is provided on the pushing cylinder and that presses the rotating member by a rotating operation of the pushing cylinder to the rotation operating section to rotate the rotating member in the forward direction, the lower surface of each of the plurality of partition plates forms a first inclined surface that slopes upward toward one side in the circumferential direction, the rotating member has a rotating arm, and an upper surface of the rotating arm forms a second inclined surface that slopes upward toward the one side in the circumferential direction, the lower surface of the supporting member forms a plurality of third inclined surfaces that are shifted in the circumferential direction at an equal pitch with respect to the first inclined surface, each of which slopes upward toward one side in the circumferential direction, the first inclined surface, the second inclined surface and the third inclined surface constitute the rotation guide portion, the second inclined surface of the rotating arm is able to abut against each of the first inclined surfaces and each of the third inclined surfaces, and the circumferential width of the third inclined surface is greater than the circumferential width of the second inclined surface.

[0009] In the liquid ejector of the present invention having the aforementioned configuration, it is preferable that the inclination of a lower end portion of the third inclined surface is smaller than the inclination of an upper end portion of the third inclined surface. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a liquid ejector that can limit the amount of liquid used at one time by pressing the press head multiple times, and can be used repeatedly. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a discharge tool of the liquid ejector according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a locked state of the liquid ejector shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which a press-down head of the liquid ejector shown in FIG. 1 is pressed down in an unlocked state. FIG. [Figure 4A] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the rotating member of the liquid ejector shown in FIG. 1, showing the state before the depression operation of the depression head in the unlocked state. [Figure 4B] 4B shows a state where the press head is pressed down from the state shown in FIG. 4A. [Figure 4C] This shows a state where the press head is further pressed down from the state shown in FIG. 4B. [Figure 4D] This shows a state when the pressing operation is released from the state shown in FIG. 4C. [Figure 4E] This shows the state when the state shown in FIG. 4D is changed to the locked state. [Figure 5A] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the lock release part of the liquid ejector shown in FIG. 1, showing a locked state. [Figure 5B] 5B shows a state when the locked state shown in FIG. 5A is released. [Figure 5C] This shows the state when the pressing head is pressed for the 11th time from the state shown in FIG. 5B. [Figure 6] 4B is an explanatory diagram showing in more detail the positional relationship between the second inclined surface and the third inclined surface in the state shown in FIG. 4A. FIG. [Figure 7] 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a first modified example of the third inclined surface shown in FIG. 6. FIG. [Figure 8] 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a second modified example of the third inclined surface shown in FIG. 6. FIG. [Figure 9] 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a third modified example of the third inclined surface shown in FIG. 6. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A liquid ejector according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the liquid ejector 1 of this embodiment is composed of an aerosol container A and an ejector B, which is further composed of a cover tube 2, a nozzle 3, a push tube 4, a push-down head 5, a rotating member 6, a ring member 7, a partition plate 8, a piston member 9, and a cap 10.

[0014] The aerosol container A has a hollow cylindrical body 11a with a metered-dose valve built in, and a cylindrical stem 11b centered on a central axis O that is provided at the upper end of the body 11a in an upwardly biased state and can be depressed, and is configured so that a fixed amount of liquid as the contents (hereinafter also referred to as the content liquid) is sprayed from the stem 11b when the stem 11b is depressed. A circular annular protrusion 11c is provided at the upper end of the body 11a. The body 11a and the annular protrusion 11c are concentric with the stem 11b.

[0015] In this embodiment, the contents are medicines such as scalp medicines whose amount to be used at one time is specified. The contents may be any liquid other than medicines whose amount to be used at one time is specified. The contents may also be any liquid whose amount to be used at one time is preferably limited.

[0016] In this embodiment, the formulation of the concentrate of the aerosol contents to be used as a scalp medicine can be, for example, as shown in A-1 or A-2 below. <Prescription Example A-1> [Ingredients] [Amount] Minoxidil 1.0g 1,3-butylene glycol 3.0g Propylene glycol 3.0g Dipropylene glycol 3.0g Glycerin 3.0g Cetyl alcohol 0.5g Ethanol 60.0g l-Menthol 0.3g Pyridoxine hydrochloride 0.05g Vitamin E Acetate 0.08g Pantothenyl ethyl ether 1.0g Panthenol 1.0g Carpronium chloride 2.0g Glycyrrhetinic acid 0.1g Diphenhydramine hydrochloride 0.1g Hinokitiol 0.05g Salicylic acid 0.2g Dibutylhydroxytoluene 0.2g Glycine Trace L-Arginine Trace Amount fragrance trace amount Purified sodium hyaluronate (trace amount) Polyvinylpyrrolidone Trace amount Phosphoric acid (appropriate amount) Citric acid (appropriate amount) Purified water remainder Total 100mL <Prescription Example A-2> [Ingredients] [Amount] Minoxidil 5.0g 1,3-butylene glycol 3.0g Propylene glycol 3.0g Dipropylene glycol 3.0g Glycerin 3.0g Cetyl alcohol 0.5g Ethanol 50.0g l-Menthol 0.3g Pyridoxine hydrochloride 0.05g Vitamin E Acetate 0.08g Pantothenyl ethyl ether 1.0g Panthenol 1.0g Carpronium chloride 2.0g Glycyrrhetinic acid 0.1g Diphenhydramine hydrochloride 0.1g Hinokitiol 0.05g Salicylic acid 0.2g Dibutylhydroxytoluene 0.2g Glycine Trace L-Arginine Trace Amount Phosphoric acid (appropriate amount) Citric acid (appropriate amount) Purified water remainder Total 100mL

[0017] In this embodiment, the following B-1, B-2, or B-3 can be used as a propellant for the aerosol contents. <b-1>Dimethyl Ether <b-2>LPG(:Liquefied Petroleum Gas) <b-3>Dimethyl ether and LPG (volume ratio 1:1)

[0018] In this application, the up-down direction means a direction along the central axis O of the stem 11b, the downward direction means a direction in which the stem 11b is pushed down (downward in FIG. 2), and the upward direction means the opposite direction. In this application, the circumferential direction means a direction going around the central axis O. In this application, the radial direction means a direction perpendicular to the central axis O. In this application, the longitudinal section means a section including the central axis O.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 2, the cover tube 2 has a lower end fixed to the annular protruding portion 11c of the aerosol container A by fitting, and an upper end having an upper opening 12. The nozzle 3 and the push tube 4 are disposed in the upper opening 12. The cover tube 2 is composed of a cover tube main body 2a having a cylindrical peripheral wall 13 and a top wall 14 connected to the upper edge of the peripheral wall 13 and having the upper opening 12, and a separately formed mounting member 2b. The mounting member 2b is fixed to the annular protruding portion 11c by fitting, and the cover tube main body 2a is fixed to the mounting member 2b by fitting.

[0020] The mounting member 2b has a fitting tube portion 15 fixed to the annular protruding portion 11c of the aerosol container A by snap fitting, an annular base plate portion 16 extending radially inward from the fitting tube portion 15, and a stepped cylindrical inner tube portion 17 that hangs down from the inner peripheral edge of the base plate portion 16 and tapers downward via an annular step portion. The annular step portion of the inner tube portion 17 is provided with a vertical rib-like locking protrusion 18 for locking at a predetermined location in the circumferential direction. A vertical groove-like alignment recess 19 is provided at the upper end of the outer circumferential surface of the fitting tube portion 15.

[0021] The peripheral wall 13 of the cover tube body 2a is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the fitting tube portion 15 of the mounting member 2b by snap fitting. A vertical rib-like alignment protrusion 20 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 13 of the cover tube body 2a is arranged in the alignment recess 19 of the fitting tube portion 15, thereby preventing the cover tube body 2a from rotating relative to the mounting member 2b. A window 21 that allows the interior to be viewed is provided in the vertical middle portion of the peripheral wall 13 of the cover tube body 2a. The window 21 is configured as a through hole, but is not limited to this and may be configured of, for example, a transparent member.

[0022] In addition, a plurality of partition plates 22 are provided at the outer periphery of the cover tube 2, and are arranged at a predetermined pitch p (see FIG. 4A, etc.) in the circumferential direction. The number of partition plates 22 is restricted relative to the cover tube 2. Although eleven partition plates 22 are provided, the number of partition plates 22 is not limited to this and can be changed as appropriate. As shown in FIG. 4A, etc., the plurality of partition plates 22 are arranged at predetermined circumferential locations as intermittent portions 23, and are arranged at substantially equal intervals in the circumferential direction (approximately 1 / 2 the interval of the pitch p of the partition plates 22). The lower surface of each partition plate 22 is a first inclined surface S1 (hereinafter also referred to as an inclined surface S1) that inclines upward toward one side in the circumferential direction (clockwise direction when viewed from above). In addition, as shown in FIG. 5A, etc., two partition plates 22 located at the fifth and seventh positions in the clockwise direction from the intermittent portion 23 when viewed from above are small partition plates 22a with their radially inner portions cut out. 2, each partition plate 22 is provided on a partition plate 8 formed separately from the cover tube 2. The partition plate 8 has an annular connecting plate 24 secured by snap fitting in an annular recess provided on the underside of the top wall 14 of the cover tube main body 2a. A plurality of partition plates 22 hang down from the underside of the connecting plate 24.

[0023] The nozzle 3 is attached to the stem 11b so that the stem 11b can be pushed down while being biased upward. The nozzle 3 has a stepped cylindrical nozzle body 3a whose lower end expands downward via an annular step. The upper end of the stem 11b is press-fitted liquid-tight into the annular step of the nozzle body 3a. A flow path C1 for the content liquid is formed by the inner circumferential surface of the nozzle body 3a above the annular step. A cylindrical outer tube 3c is connected to the lower end of the nozzle body 3a via a flange wall 3b. The lower end of a biasing member 25 formed of a coil spring abuts against the upper surface of the flange wall 3b.

[0024] The push tube 4 is cylindrical and is disposed so as to penetrate the upper opening 12 of the top wall 14 of the cover tube 2, and is rotatable about the central axis O relative to the cover tube 2. The push tube 4 also has a rotation operation part 26 protruding from the upper opening 12 of the top wall 14 of the cover tube 2. The push tube 4 is composed of a cylindrical outer peripheral wall 27, an annular connecting wall 28 extending radially inward from the vertical middle part of the outer peripheral wall 27, and a cylindrical inner peripheral wall 29 hanging down from the inner peripheral edge part of the connecting wall 28. At one or more points in the circumferential direction, the outer peripheral surface of the inner peripheral wall 29, the lower surface of the connecting wall 28, and the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall 27 are connected via a wall part. The rotation operation part 26 is composed of the outer peripheral surface at the upper part of the outer peripheral wall 27. The rotation operation part 26 has a plurality of vertical ribs 26a arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The vertical ribs 26a function as a slip-proofing when the user pinches the rotary operation part 26 and rotates it. A flange 27a having an outer diameter larger than that of the upper opening 12 is provided at the lower end of the outer peripheral wall 27, and this flange 27a prevents the push tube 4 from being pulled out upward from the upper opening 12. A plurality of box-shaped protrusions 27b are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the upper surface of the flange 27a to reduce the sliding resistance with the lower surface of the top wall 14. In addition, a plurality of hemispherical protrusions 27c are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the lower end surface of the outer peripheral wall 27 to reduce the sliding resistance with the upper surface of the ring member 7. A pressing protrusion 30 constituting the unlocking part P3 is provided on the inner peripheral edge of the lower end surface of the push tube 4.

[0025] A plurality of vertical ribs 31 extending upward from the connecting wall 28 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall 27 of the pushing cylinder 4. The vertical ribs 31 have upper end faces located at the same height as one another, and these upper end faces form abutment surfaces 32 that come into contact with and are pushed down by the pushing head 5. The abutment surfaces 32 are not limited to being arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction as described above, and may be arranged to extend around the entire circumference, for example.

[0026] The rotating member 6 is attached to the nozzle 3 so as to be movable up and down in an upwardly biased state relative to the nozzle 3. The rotating member 6 has a cylindrical upper tube wall portion 6a through which the nozzle main body 3a penetrates, an annular flange portion 6b extending radially outward from the lower end of the upper tube wall portion 6a, and a lower tube wall portion 6c hanging down from the outer circumferential edge portion of the flange portion 6b. The lower tube wall portion 6c is disposed radially inside the inner tube portion 17 of the mounting member 2b, and can be raised and lowered along the inner circumferential surface of the inner tube portion 17. The upper end portion of the biasing member 25 abuts against the lower surface of the flange portion 6b. Therefore, the rotating member 6 can be lowered relative to the nozzle 3 by elastically deforming the biasing member 25.

[0027] A rod-shaped rotating arm 33 extending radially outward is provided at the upper end of the lower cylindrical wall portion 6c. In the locked state shown in FIG. 2, the rotating arm 33 is located in the recess 23 of the partition plate 22 in the circumferential direction. The locked state is a state in which the rotation member 6 is prevented from descending so as to prevent the stem 11b from being pressed down. In this locked state, the rotation member 6 including the rotating arm 33 is located at the upper end of the ascending / descending stroke. A vertical rib-shaped locked protrusion 34 for locking is provided at a predetermined location in the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential surface of the lower cylindrical wall portion 6c. In the locked state, when the pressing head 5 is pressed down, the lower end surface of the locked protrusion 34 abuts against the upper end surface of the locking protrusion 18 of the mounting member 2b, thereby preventing the rotation member 6 from descending so as to prevent the stem 11b from being pressed down. In this way, the liquid ejector 1 has a locking portion P2, which is composed of the locking protrusion 18 and the locked protrusion 34, and which is in a locked state when the rotating member 6 is in a predetermined rotational position. A plate-shaped portion 35 is provided at the tip of the rotating arm 33, and in the locked state, the plate-shaped portion 35 can be seen from the outside through the window 21. Therefore, by visually checking whether the plate-shaped portion 35 is present in the window 21, it is possible to confirm whether the state is locked or unlocked. It is preferable that an indication indicating the end, expressed by letters, symbols, patterns, coloring, etc., is provided on the plate-shaped portion 35 by appropriate means such as printing, attachment of a sealant, etc.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 4A etc., the upper end surface of the rotating arm 33 forms a second inclined surface S2 (hereinafter also referred to as inclined surface S2) that inclines upward toward one side in the circumferential direction (clockwise direction when viewed from above). The radially outer portion of the inclined surface S2 of the rotating arm 33 can abut against the inclined surfaces S1 of the multiple partition plates 22. The inclined surface S2 has the same inclination angle as the inclined surfaces S1 of the partition plates 22. Note that, although it is sufficient to provide only one rotating arm 33, an auxiliary rotating arm 33a (see Fig. 5A etc.) may be provided in addition to the rotating arm 33 in order to achieve more stable rotation of the rotating member 6 with less wobble.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5A etc., in this embodiment, the rotating arm 33 and two auxiliary rotating arms 33a shorter than the rotating arm 33 are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction at the same height. The upper end surface of each auxiliary rotating arm 33a is an inclined surface S2 with the same inclination as the rotating arm 33. The radially outer portion of the inclined surface S2 of each auxiliary rotating arm 33a can abut against the inclined surfaces S1 of the multiple partition plates 22 except for the small partition plate 22a. In other words, each auxiliary rotating arm 33a has a length that allows it to abut against other partition plates 22 without abutting against the small partition plate 22a. The two auxiliary rotating arms 33a are arranged in the circumferential direction so that the auxiliary rotating arm 33a faces the corresponding small partition plate 22a in the radial direction in the locked state. The number and arrangement of the auxiliary rotating arms 33a are not particularly limited and can be appropriately set in accordance with the number and arrangement of the small partition plates 22a.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, the ring member 7 is interposed between the push tube 4 and the rotating arm 33 so as to be able to be pressed down. The ring member 7 is restricted from rotating relative to the plurality of partition plates 22. The ring member 7 has an annular base 7a and four rotation restriction pieces 7b extending radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the base 7a and arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Each of the four rotation restriction pieces 7b is disposed between two adjacent partition plates 22 with almost no gap between them, thereby substantially preventing the ring member 7 from rotating relative to the plurality of partition plates 22. The number and arrangement of the rotation restriction pieces 7b are not limited to this and can be changed as appropriate. As shown in FIG. 4A and other figures, the lower surface of the base 7a is shifted backward (counterclockwise in top view) by a predetermined width w, which is less than ¼ pitch, at an equal pitch p with respect to the inclined surface S1, and forms a plurality (12 pieces) of third inclined surfaces S3 (hereinafter also referred to as inclined surfaces S3) that are inclined upward toward one side in the circumferential direction (clockwise in top view). Between the plurality of inclined surfaces S3, an inclined surface having an inclination angle opposite to that of the inclined surface S3 is provided, and the lower end surface of the base 7a has an annular sawtooth shape as a whole. Each inclined surface S3 is capable of abutting against the radially inner portion of the inclined surface S2 of the rotating arm 33 and the radially inner portion of the inclined surface S2 of the auxiliary rotating arm 33a.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 4A and other figures, the upper end surface of the outer circumferential edge of the flange portion 6b is provided with a plurality of auxiliary inclined surfaces S4 in order to rotate the rotating member 6 more stably and with less wobbling. The plurality of auxiliary inclined surfaces S4, the radial inner portion of the inclined surface S2 of the rotating arm 33, and the radial inner portion of the inclined surface S2 of the two auxiliary rotating arms 33a are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. In addition, inclined surfaces having inclination angles in opposite directions are provided between these inclined surfaces, and the upper end surface of the outer circumferential edge of the flange portion 6b has an annular sawtooth shape as a whole. Each auxiliary inclined surface S4 can abut against the plurality of inclined surfaces S3 of the ring member 7. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the plurality of auxiliary inclined surfaces S4 are not provided.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2 and other figures, the upper end surface of the inner peripheral edge of the flange portion 6b is provided with a pressed convex portion 36 constituting the unlocking portion P3. The pressing convex portion 30 of the pushing cylinder 4 described above is configured to press the pressed convex portion 36 of the rotating member 6 to one side in the circumferential direction (clockwise direction when viewed from above), i.e., in the forward direction, by rotating the rotating operation portion 26 of the pushing cylinder 4 from the locked state, thereby rotating the rotating member 6 in the forward direction. In other words, the unlocking portion P3 composed of the pressing convex portion 30 and the pressed convex portion 36 can press the rotating member 6 in the forward direction by rotating the rotating operation portion 26 of the pushing cylinder 4 from the locked state, thereby rotating the rotating member 6 in the forward direction.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2, the pressing head 5 has a cylindrical outer tube 37 with a lower end that abuts against the abutment surface 32 of the pressing tube 4 to press down the pressing tube 4, an upper wall 38 connected to the upper part of the outer tube 37, a cylindrical inner tube 39 that hangs down from the center of the upper wall 38 when viewed from above, and an ejection nozzle 40 that forms a sideward ejection port at its tip. The upper surface of the upper wall 38 constitutes a pressing operation part that receives a pressing operation to eject the content liquid. The outer tube 37 is snap-fitted to a part above the abutment surface 32 on the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall 27 of the pressing tube 4 so as to be rotatable around the central axis O and to be restricted from being pulled out upward. The inner peripheral surface of the inner peripheral tube 39 forms a flow path C2 for the content liquid that extends in the vertical direction by the inner peripheral surface of the inner peripheral tube 39. Further, the press-down head 5 is formed with a flow path C3 for the content liquid that connects the upper end of the flow path C2 with the tip of the ejection nozzle 40. The press-down head 5 is composed of an ejection nozzle member 5b that constitutes the ejection nozzle 40 and fits into the outer peripheral cylinder 37, and a press-down head main body 5a that constitutes the outer peripheral cylinder 37, the upper wall 38, and the inner peripheral cylinder 39. The number of members that constitute the press-down head 5 is not limited to this, and can be increased or decreased as appropriate.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, the piston member 9 is attached integrally to the upper end of the nozzle 3 and can slide up and down on the inner circumferential surface that forms the flow path C2 in the press-down head 5. More specifically, the piston member 9 has a cylindrical fitting portion 9a that fits into the upper end of the nozzle 3, a cylindrical annular piston portion 9b that extends upward from the upper end of the fitting portion 9a and is centered on the central axis O, a flange wall portion 9c that protrudes radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion 9a, and a guide tube portion 9d that extends upward from the outer circumferential edge of the flange wall portion 9c and is centered on the central axis O. The fitting portion 9a has a fitting tube wall 9e that fits into the outer circumferential surface of the tip of the nozzle main body 3a of the nozzle 3, and an annular inward protruding portion 9f that extends radially inward from the upper end of the fitting tube wall 9e and faces the upper end surface of the nozzle main body 3a. The annular piston portion 9b can slide up and down on the inner circumferential surface of the inner circumferential tube 39. The guide cylinder portion 9d is provided radially outward of the inner cylinder 39 and is capable of guiding the inner cylinder 39 in the up and down direction. In this manner, the liquid ejector 1 of the present embodiment has the seal portion P4 that seals between the flow path C1 in the nozzle 3 and the flow path C2 in the press-down head 5, and the seal portion P4 is composed of the piston member 9.

[0035] 2, the cap 10 has a cylindrical outer peripheral wall portion 10a centered on the central axis O, and a top wall portion 10b continuing to the upper end of the outer peripheral wall portion 10a. The lower end of the outer peripheral wall portion 10a is removably fitted into a stepped diameter reducing portion provided at the upper end of the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 13 of the cover tube main body 2a, so that the press-down head 5 can be covered and stored with the cap 10. The cap 10 can be removed from the cover tube main body 2a when the liquid ejector 1 is used.

[0036] In the unlocked state, when the press head 5 is pressed down, the lower end of the outer peripheral tube 37 of the press head 5 presses the contact surface 32 of the press tube 4, the hemispherical projection 27c of the press tube 4 presses the upper end surface of the base 7a of the ring member 7, and the inclined surface S3 of the ring member 7 presses the inclined surface S2 of the rotating member 6. In addition, the biasing force of the biasing member 25 is set smaller than the biasing force of the stem 11b. Therefore, when the press-down head 5 is pressed down, first, the press-down head 5, the push tube 4, the ring member 7 and the rotating member 6 are biased upward by the biasing member 25 and move downward a predetermined stroke relative to the nozzle 3 and the stem 11b, and at that time, the inner surface of the inner tube 39 slides downward against the annular piston portion 9b, thereby maintaining a sealed state between the flow path C1 in the nozzle 3 and the flow path C2 in the press-down head 5, and then, as shown in FIG. 3, the press-down head 5, the push tube 4, the ring member 7, the rotating member 6 and the nozzle 3 press down the stem 11b in the upward biased state, and the content liquid is ejected from the ejection nozzle 40 through the flow paths C1 to C3.

[0037] The inclined surfaces S1 to S3 described above constitute the rotation guide portion P1 that rotates the rotating member 6 by a predetermined angle in the forward direction by the downward movement and subsequent upward movement of the pressing head 5, the pressing tube 4, the ring member 7, the rotating member 6, and the nozzle 3 caused by the pressing operation on the pressing head 5. The rotation guide portion P1 can guide the rotating member 6 as shown in Figs. 4A to 4E. Fig. 4A shows a state in which the rotating arm 33 is located between the two partition plates 22 located immediately behind the intermittent portion 23 and the pressing head 5 is not pressed down. When the pressing head 5 is pressed down from this state, as shown in Fig. 4B, the inclined surface S3 of the ring member 7 presses the inclined surface S2 of the rotating arm 33 straight down along the side surface of the partition plate 22 immediately in front of it. Then, when the rotating arm 33 is pressed down until it exceeds the lower end of the partition plate 22, the inclined surface S2 slides on the inclined surface S3 in the forward direction as shown in Fig. 4C. Further pressing presses the stem 11b downward, causing the liquid content to spurt out. When the liquid content spurts out and the pressing operation is released, as shown in FIG. 4D, the inclined surface S2 comes into contact with the inclined surface S1 of the partition plate 22 immediately in front of it, and as the ring member 7 and the rotating member 6 rise further, the inclined surface S2 slides forward on the inclined surface S1 and climbs over the partition plate 22. At this time, since the portion immediately in front of the partition plate 22 that the inclined surface S2 has climbed over is the intermittent portion 23, the inclined surface S2 slides to its end on the inclined surface S3 against which the inclined surface S2 is in contact, and the rotating member 6 is in the locked state shown in FIG. 4E. In this state shown in FIG. 4E, the rotating member 6 is in a predetermined rotation position where the descent of the rotating member 6 is blocked by the locking portion P2 so as to prevent the stem 11b from being pressed down. At this time, even if the rotating member 6 is pressed down by the ring member 7, since the inclined surface S2 has already slid to the end on the inclined surface S3, the rotating member 6 is not rotated by the inclined surface S3 of the ring member 7 and is maintained in a predetermined rotation position. Note that, in this embodiment, the locking portion P2 is composed of the locking protrusion 18 and the locked protrusion 34, but is not limited thereto. For example, a protrusion may be provided on the upper surface of the base plate portion 16 of the mounting member 2b, and the locking portion P2 may be composed of this protrusion and the rotating arm 33 (that is, the lower surface of the rotating arm 33 is configured to abut against the upper surface of the protrusion to prevent the rotating member 6 from descending).

[0038] In order to use a specified amount of liquid content at one time, the user first releases the locked state. At this time, the user rotates the rotation operation part 26 of the pushing cylinder 4 in the forward direction from the locked state shown in FIG. 5A, rotates the pressing convex part 30 of the pushing cylinder 4 in the forward direction, and as shown in FIG. 5B, presses the pressing convex part 30 against the pressed convex part 36 of the rotating member 6, and rotates the rotating member 6 in the forward direction until the rotating arm 33 abuts against the next inclined surface S3 and the partition plate 22 and stops. This operation causes the circumferential positions of the locking convex part 18 and the locked convex part 34 (see FIG. 2, etc.) to shift, and the locked state is released. Then, the user repeatedly presses the pressing head 5 to press the nozzle 3 and the stem 11b, and the liquid content is sprayed. In addition, each time the pressing operation is performed, the rotating member 6 is guided by the rotation guide part P1 and rotates, and then the stem 11b is pressed down and the liquid content is sprayed. Each time the rotating member 6 is pressed down, it is guided by the rotation guide portion P1 and rotates by a predetermined angle. When the nozzle 3 and stem 11b are pressed down a predetermined number of times (11 times, which is the same as the number of partition plates 22 in this embodiment), the nozzle 3 and stem 11b are locked again. This allows the user to recognize that a specified amount has been used, and prevents erroneous use exceeding the specified amount.

[0039] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6, the circumferential width W3 of the third inclined surface S3 is set to be larger than the circumferential width W2 of the second inclined surface S2. In contrast, as shown in Fig. 7, if the circumferential width W3 of the third inclined surface S3 is set equal to the circumferential width W2 of the second inclined surface S2, as shown in Fig. 7, due to circumferential wobble that may occur when the ring member 7 is assembled to the partition plate 8, the lower end of the third inclined surface S3 may be assembled in a state where it is shifted in the forward direction beyond the upper end of the second inclined surface S2, as shown by the two-dot chain line on the right side of Fig. 7, and this may cause a malfunction, that is, the rotating member 6 may not rotate even when the pressing head 5 is pressed down. In order to avoid such a possibility, if the predetermined width w (see FIG. 4A) by which the third inclined surface S3 is shifted backward with respect to the inclined surface S1 of the partition plate 22 is set larger as shown in FIG. 8, the rotation angle by which the second inclined surface S2 can be rotated by the third inclined surface S3 when the pressing head 5 is pressed down is reduced, and there is a possibility that a stable operation cannot be obtained. Therefore, in this embodiment, as described above, by setting the circumferential width W3 of the third inclined surface S3 larger than the circumferential width W2 of the second inclined surface S2, it is possible to suppress the lower end of the third inclined surface S3 from being assembled in a state shifted in the forward direction beyond the upper end of the second inclined surface S2 as shown in FIG. 6, even if there is rattling during assembly, and moreover, it is possible to satisfactorily secure the rotation angle by which the second inclined surface S2 can be rotated by the third inclined surface S3 when the pressing head 5 is pressed down. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6, the inclination of the third inclined surface S3 is set so that the inclination of the lower end portion S3a of the third inclined surface S3 is smaller than the inclination of the upper end portion S3b of the third inclined surface S3. This setting makes it easier to obtain good durability (at the lower end portion of the third inclined surface S3) of the ring member 7. Instead of this setting, for example, as shown in Fig. 9, the inclination of the third inclined surface S3 may be set uniformly, while the circumferential width W3 of the third inclined surface S3 may be set larger than the circumferential width W2 of the second inclined surface S2.

[0040] In addition, in this embodiment, the pressing protrusion 30 of the pressing cylinder 4 is pressed against the pressed protrusion 36 of the rotating member 6 to release the locked state, so that when the pressing operation is repeated after the locked state is released and the pressing operation is performed just before the locked state is again entered, as shown in Fig. 5C, the pressed protrusion 36 of the rotating member 6 will press against the pressing protrusion 30 of the pressing cylinder 4, and the pressing cylinder 4 will rotate in the forward direction when the nozzle 3 and stem 11b are pressed. Here, the pressing head 5 is provided to be rotatable relative to the pressing cylinder 4 as described above, so that the pressing head 5 is prevented from being linked to the rotation of the pressing cylinder 4, and the liquid content can be appropriately sprayed without deviating from the desired direction.

[0041] As described above, the liquid ejector 1 of the present embodiment is configured to be capable of limiting the amount of liquid used in one use resulting from multiple pressing operations on the press head 5, and to enable repeated use.

[0042] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0043] Therefore, the liquid ejector 1 of the embodiment described above includes an aerosol container A having a stem 11b, a cover tube 2 fixed to the aerosol container A, a nozzle 3 attached to the stem 11b, a push tube 4 having a rotation operation part 26 protruding from the cover tube 2, a push head 5 which is rotatable relatively to the push tube 4 and ejects liquid when the nozzle 3 is pressed down, a seal part P4 which seals between a flow path C1 in the nozzle 3 and a flow path C2 in the push head 5, and a seal part P5 which is restricted in rotation relative to the cover tube 2 and is arranged at a predetermined pitch p in the circumferential direction. the rotating member 6 being movable upward in an upwardly biased state relative to the nozzle 3; a ring member 7 being interposed between the pushing tube 4 and the rotating member 6 in a pressable manner and whose rotation relative to the plurality of partition plates 22 is restricted; a rotation guide portion P1 which rotates the rotating member 6 by a predetermined angle in the forward direction by lowering the pressing head 5, the pushing tube 4, the ring member 7, the rotating member 6 and the nozzle 3 by a pressing operation on the pressing head 5 and then raising the pressing head 5, the ring member 7, the rotating member 6 and the nozzle 3; The locking portion P2 sets the rotating member 6 in a locked state so that the descent of the rotating member 6 is prevented so that the pressing of the pressing member 6b is prevented, and the unlocking portion P3 is composed of a pressing protrusion 30 that is provided on the pressing cylinder 4 and presses the rotating member 6 by rotating the rotating operation portion 26 of the pressing cylinder 4 to rotate the rotating member 6 in the forward direction. The lower surface of each of the plurality of partition plates 22 forms a first inclined surface S1 that inclines upward toward one side in the circumferential direction, the rotating member 6 has a rotating arm 33, and the upper surface of the rotating arm 33 forms a second inclined surface S2 that inclines upward toward one side in the circumferential direction. The liquid ejector 1 can be modified as long as the liquid ejector 1 is characterized in that the lower surface of the guide member 7 is arranged at a circumferential position shifted with an equal pitch p with respect to the first inclined surface S1, forming a plurality of third inclined surfaces S3 each inclined upward toward one side in the circumferential direction, the first inclined surface S1, the second inclined surface S2 and the third inclined surface S3 constitute a rotation guide portion P1, the second inclined surface S2 of the rotating arm 33 is able to abut against each of the first inclined surfaces S1 and each of the third inclined surfaces S3, and the circumferential width W3 of the third inclined surface S3 is larger than the circumferential width W2 of the second inclined surface S2.

[0044] For example, in this embodiment, a structure is adopted in which the press head 5 presses down the nozzle 3 via the press tube 4, the ring member 7, and the rotating member 6, but other structures may be adopted for the press head 5 to press down the nozzle 3 as long as the stem 11b can be pressed down after the rotation of the rotating member 6 occurs. Also, the amount (circumferential position) by which the inclined surface S3 provided on the ring member 7 is shifted backward with respect to the inclined surface S1 of the partition plate 22 is not limited to a predetermined width w that is less than 1 / 4 pitch, and can be changed as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1 liquid squirt 2 Cover tube 2a Cover tube body 2b Mounting material 3 Nozzles 3a Nozzle body 3b Flange wall 3c External cylinder 4 Press tube 5 Pressing head 5a Press head body 5b Jet nozzle member 6 Rotating members 6a Upper cylinder wall 6b Flange part 6c Lower cylinder wall 7 Ring member 7a base 7b Rotation restriction piece 8 Partition board 9 Piston parts 9a Mating part 9b Annular piston part 9c Flange wall 9d Guide tube 9e Mating cylinder wall 9f Annular inward protrusion 10 Cap 10a Outer wall 10b Top wall 11a Torso 11b stem 11c Annular protrusion 12 Top opening 13 Peripheral wall 14 Top Wall 15 Fitting cylinder part 16 Base plate 17 Inner cylinder 18 Locking protrusion 19 Alignment recess 20 Alignment protrusion 21. Windows 22 Partition 22a Small partition board 23 Intermittent section 24 Connecting plate 25 Pressing member 26 Rotation control unit 26a Vertical rib 27 Outer wall 27a Flange 27b Protrusion 27c protrusion 28 Connecting wall 29 Inner wall 30 Pressing protrusion 31 Vertical ribs 32 Contact surface 33 Rotating Arm 33a Auxiliary rotating arm 34 Locked protrusion 35 Plate-shaped part 36 Pressurized convex part 37 Peripheral tube 38 Upper Wall 39 Inner cylinder 40 Spout Nozzle A. Aerosol container B Squirting device C1~C3 flow path O center axis p pitch P1 Rotation guide section P2 Lock section P3 Unlocking part P4 Seal part S1 1st slope S2 2nd slope S3 Third slope S3a lower end part S3b upper end part S4 Auxiliary slope w Specified width W2 Circumferential width of the second inclined surface W3 Circumferential width of the third inclined surface

Claims

1. an aerosol container having a stem, a cover tube fixed to the aerosol container, a nozzle attached to the stem, a push tube having a rotation operation part protruding from the cover tube, a push head rotatable relative to the push tube and spraying liquid when the nozzle is pressed down, a seal part sealing between a flow path in the nozzle and a flow path in the push head, a plurality of partition plates whose rotation relative to the cover tube is restricted, which are arranged at a predetermined pitch in the circumferential direction and have predetermined locations in the circumferential direction as intermittent parts, a rotating member which can be raised and lowered in an upwardly biased state relative to the nozzle, and a pressing member interposed between the push tube and the rotating member so as to be pressable a ring member whose rotation relative to the plurality of partition plates is restricted; a rotation guide section which rotates the rotating member by a predetermined angle in the forward direction by lowering and then raising the pressing head, the pressing tube, the ring member, the rotating member and the nozzle by a pressing operation on the pressing head; a lock section which sets a locked state in which the lowering of the rotating member is prevented so that the stem is prevented from being pressed when the rotating member is in a predetermined rotation position; and an unlocking section which is provided on the pressing tube and is constituted by a pressing protrusion which presses the rotating member by a rotating operation of the pressing tube to the rotation operating section, thereby rotating the rotating member in the forward direction, a lower surface of each of the plurality of partition plates forms a first inclined surface that is inclined upward toward one side in the circumferential direction, the rotating member has a rotating arm, and an upper surface of the rotating arm forms a second inclined surface that is inclined upward toward the one side in the circumferential direction, a lower surface of the ring member forms a plurality of third inclined surfaces that are provided at equal pitches with respect to the first inclined surfaces and are shifted in the circumferential direction, each of which inclines upward toward the one side in the circumferential direction; the first inclined surface, the second inclined surface, and the third inclined surface constitute the rotation guide portion, The second inclined surface of the rotating arm is capable of abutting against each of the first inclined surfaces and each of the third inclined surfaces, A liquid ejector, wherein the width of the third inclined surface in the circumferential direction is greater than the width of the second inclined surface in the circumferential direction.

2. 2. The liquid ejector according to claim 1, wherein a slope of a lower end portion of the third inclined surface is smaller than a slope of an upper end portion of the third inclined surface.

Images